Hannah Dostine

What is your name?
As a creative polymath, I go as HRD (pronounced, ‘heard’) but am usually known as the zinemaker, Hannah Rose Dostine and am slowly introducing the name, Hans Vega.

How would you describe what you do?
As an assortment and overlap of self-made projects, zinemaking, drawing, beatnik writings and daydreaming with an edge of sustainable and ethical activism…or something like that 🙂

What are you currently working on?
I’m preparing for the Canberra Zine Emporium 🙂

What has had the greatest influence on your work?
Definitely my ambiguous mental health. But also my imagination, hands down.

What is the greatest misconception about you and your work?
The way I come across I always worry is disinterested, awkward and as a social face a bit wobbly and hardly around (but i hope people know how much i appreciate them) I feel that hinders or could be seen in my work. Otherwise if anything I think what i convey through personal symbols may be ambiguous/misunderstood, but my subject matter is also a life struggle that I find difficult to express.

What do you see as the main strengths and weaknesses of the medium you work in?
I am still developing and experimenting but I have become comfortable with fineliner. I find its saturating effect great to convey my theme. As for weakness, merely educating myself with the mediums potential!

How has technology impacted upon the work you do?
Immensely amd positively in the way that the internet has opened up a plethora of artistic and creative communities and collectives to learn from, receive support, feedback and be inspired by.

What’s the greatest piece of advice you would like to pass on?
Question everything, believe in no end to your creativity and always be yourself.

Where can we find you online?
I am around on facebook and twitter but for my main work, head over to tumblr: chasehotairballoons.tumblr.com or we make zines if you do trades.

What are you reading at the moment?
A zine about living an adventurous life on zero dollars a day!

What are you listenning to at the moment?
Bands of the Punk, Rock and Jazz persuasions (e.g. NOFX, Jaco Pastorious and Jimi Hendrix).

Anything else we should know?
I volunteer at Sticky Institute, Melbourne’s shop for zine crusaders and DIY enthusiasts, a brilliant and fun group of people.